Lore
1950’s- Following World-War II, Aperture Science is founded off of Aperture Fixtures. Around the same time, a government-backed research facility named Black Mesa is built in New Mexico. Aperture Science begins developing wormhole technology. 1960’s- Tensions between the USSR and the United States rise. Aperture Science is contracted by the US Department of Defense to continue experimenting with portal technology. Around the same time, Black Mesa begins begins to develop Nuclear weapons on a contract for the US. Towards the end of the 1960’s, Aperture Science becomes financially unstable due to cutting of funds, however they successfully develop portal technology. 1970’s- The United States and USSR are nearing the brink of war. Black Mesa ceases work on Nuclear warheads and begins production on inter-dimensional travel. Aperture Science and Black Mesa begin competing for funds. Meanwhile, civil wars in Africa spark a proxy war between the US and the USSR in that region. Although no official war is claimed, US and USSR Special Forces constantly engage one another. Because of this, the Hazardous Environment Combat Unit (HECU) is formed in preparation of possible nuclear war, but is behind-the-scenes preparing to be utilized in Black Mesa should the USSR attempt to infiltrate the facility, and soon after begins to receive mysterious funds that are not in the US budget. Aperture Science places a large wormhole device on a ship known as the Borealis, which disappears without a trace. 1980’s- Black Mesa finishes production on a wormhole device, and discovers Xen- leading to studies and experiments on Xenian geography, biology, etc. Aperture Science develops the hand-held portal device. Soon afterwards, Aperture Science develops and tests GLaDOS on bring-your-daughter-to-work day. The AI goes rogue and floods the facility with neurotoxins, killing almost everyone inside, and then the facility is locked down. Black Mesa accepts a private defense contract with an outside source, fearing the US Government will fail to protect them. 1990’s- The USSR begin mobilizing troops out of the Eastern Bloc and back into mainland Russia as its economy begins to collapse. 1998- The HECU receive orders to begin training daily. Soon after those orders are received, the Resonance Cascade occurs, which is for now contained to Black Mesa. The HECU receives orders to assault the facility and eliminate all witnesses, and an unknown team of rogue government elements are sent in to silence any HECU found that aren’t following orders. The Nihilanth uses the Resonance Cascade to tear rifts between the Earth and Xen, causing portal storms to erupts all over the Earth. The already-crippled USSR mobilizes to protect its main cities. The HECU pull out, and a nuclear explosion destroys the entire facility as well as anyone who stayed behind. The Resonance Cascade ends, however the rifts left open by the Nihilanth allow portal storms to continue wreaking havoc on the world. 1999- Most world governments establish safe zones around large urban areas, with areas outside of safe zones becoming known as ‘Outlands’. European countries have begun to fall under the storms, leaving only militarized nations such as the UK and France. Australia becomes isolated but manages to survive. Japan cuts off all outer communication for reasons unknown, and becomes totally isolated. Africa, still destabilized from the civil and proxy wars fought in it, fragments even further and the inhabitants constantly fight over resources, with only the Egypt and South African governments surviving. Iran and Iraq collapse, allowing the UAE to sweep through the Middle East, unifying the entire region, and form an unstable pact with India and Israel so long as they assist with reconstruction. South American countries unify as well, however Venezuela erupts into a bloody civil war that leads to an exile of most occupants of the war-torn country. Canada and Mexico also survive, however the Mexican government almost completely collapses under it's previous corruption. The USSR collapses under the pressure of portal storm surges and its already devastated infrastructure, and the remaining Soviet soldiers still loyal to the Soviet government converge on Moscow, turning it into a fortified stronghold. 2003- The countries that survived the onslaught unify, bent on reconstruction and preventing another Resonance Cascade event. Tokyo begins work on a prototype device that has the ability to prevent portal storms within a certain radius. 2005- The US, although wounded, begins to stabilize. It starts sending troops to members of the global alliance. Notable regions receiving aid include Australia, the Middle-East, and Europe. Reconstruction begins. 2007- Scientists from Black Mesa who survived the onslaught begin to study the portal storms. 2010- A military stronghold in the Middle East goes dark, putting people on edge. Soon after this, massive portal storms surge across the Earth. Huge alien constructs, later known as Citadels, begin dropping down into populated safe zones such as New York, Tokyo, London, Moscow, Paris and a city near the Ukrainian and Romanian border. And then the invasion began. All over the Earth, the global alliance tried to fight off the invading synthetic organism, however they were quickly losing ground. Cities were destroyed in mere minutes. Key battles occurred in Chicago, Moscow, New York, Nashville, London and Sydney, however all ended in defeat. In a last-ditch effort to preserve humanity, surviving Black Mesa scientists and staff are ushered into bunkers all across the globe. n only seven hours, the war ended in a global defeat. Dr. Breen, the head of Black Mesa before the Resonance Cascade, negotiated Earth’s surrender. The Citadels, which landed in pre-war safe-zones, become the headquarters for the Universal Union, meanwhile survivors are kept closely guarded by synthetic alien soldiers. The cities that the Combine control lose their identities, instead becoming called “City” and then given a numerical value. New York becomes City 24, Moscow becoming City 15, Tokyo becoming City 8, the city in Romania/Ukraine previously mentioned becoming City 17, etcetera. Civilians are constantly relocated to different places in an attempt to split up families as well as make it harder for rebellions to take place. 2012- The Union Conscription Program begins, as POW’s and other volunteers are join up. It acts as both a police force and a military, keeping the peace in cities while also quelling any hint of rebellion with force. Due to a high amount of mutinies, brainwashing is implemented later in the year. Although the name for it was not yet decided, this is where the Resistance planted its roots. Also, Citizens begin to work in factories for the Union, creating military and civilian technology in assembly lines across the globe. An invasive, uncontrollable, non-Xenian species known as the “Antlion” begins to dig deep caverns into the Earth, and the Combine falter to keep them at bay. 2014- Low on supplies and resources, Black Mesa researches previously kept in bunkers began to emerge, soon allying themselves with the Resistance, which contributed greatly to their efforts. Thanks to this, the “Lambda Resistance” began to become a successful, albeit minor, thorn in the Combine’s side, helping people flee to safety and performing guerrilla operations against the Combine. Also around this time, humans and Vortigaunts began to trust eachother more, as they shared a common enemy. Also, the City 17 Citadel becomes the official headquarters of the Universal Union. 2015- In response to increased hostility from the Resistance and still existing mutinies from the Conscripts, the Transhuman Initiative is created, which used Conscripts and prisoners and turned them into synthetic brainwashed super-soldiers, which soon began to make up most of the Combine military known as the “Combine Overwatch Transhuman Arm,” or COTA for short. Also, the Initiative creates a project known as the “Valkyries,” which utilized female POW’s and Conscripts and turned them into Combine Assassins. Conscripts are still kept around, and focus more on policing instead military activities. 2016- The Conscripts drift away from military dress and attire, donning early and bulky versions of today’s Metrocop uniforms, and adopt the name “Combine Civil Authority”, the ground units of which become known as “Civil Protection.” Meanwhile, the COTA are extremely successful at destroying and uprooting Resistance cells, and soon replace Synth soldiers as the go-to ground trooper. 2017- An incident at a Valkyrie training facility causes the project to halt, however Assassins already created are still put to use. An Air Exchange facility prototype is developed, however it fails after a portal storm teleports a wild Gargantua into the facility. 2018- Due to the Union harvesting Earth’s resources, the world’s ocean and lakes begin to slowly dry up, and the atmosphere begins to thin. The entire ecosystem slowly but surely begins to change. The Combine in City 8 unearth a prototype the Resonance Shield Generator created in Japan, and perfect it by creating the Resonance Field Relay, which can disable portal storms within a certain area. These devices are soon put into place in every city. The Lambda Movement continues to organize, and a station known as Black Mesa East is founded as a center for Resistance technological advancement. 2019- The last few official Conscripts that did not merge with the CCA become are forced into joining the COTA.Top-ranking CCA officials begin to receive augmentations. The CCA uniform evolves over time, becoming what it is today. 2020- A civil war erupts in City 8, which causes a chain reaction that sparks riots in most Combine-occupied cities. Although all revolts are eventually quelled (except for one, City 13, which is left in ruin and abandoned) the Combine infrastructure becomes unstable. 2021- The year is relatively quiet, but tensions are high as both factions await the other’s next move. In the Industrial zone of City 17, a decrease in Lambda activity leads to numerous cells popping up across the sector, and increased production has lead to a harsh and barely breathable winter. The denizens of i17 relocate to different sectors, all the while both the CCA and the different Resistance cells struggle to maintain their footing. Meanwhile, a riot breaks out in Moscow, eventually leads up to the Lambda Movement taking control. 2022(present-day)- A riot in a residential sector, followed by a Resistance sabotage on the City walls, lead to a zombie outbreak. All were forced to evacuate, with most ending up in the nearby Ineu Valley. Both struggled with lack of resources, until eventually a malfunction with a Resonance Field Relay led to a Portal Storm of magnitudes not seen since the Resonance Cascade. The Nihilanth Sect, which had been preparing for the event, invade the Ineu Valley, however the Sect are soon defeated and forced into hiding by the efforts of both the Resistance and the CCA. Although largely unsuccessful, this event sparks the relocation of most individuals to New York, which is known as City 24, where the different Resistance cells are starting to form together and create a group known as “The Triumph at Dawn.” Meanwhile in City 17, Gordon Freeman returns, and destroys Nova Prospekt. Soon afterwards, Resistance groups across the world unite in a global Uprising, leading to the destruction of the City 17 Citadel. After a member of a cell called "The Originals" appears and informs the Dawn of this, the Dawn leads a revolt and retreat from the City. The leader of the Dawn is kidnapped by a rogue band known as "The Locals", leaving the group leaderless. Now, the still-indoctrinated Civil Protection forces and the Resistance clash in the City 24 Uprising. 2022(Late)- After the uprising in City 24 had led to the destruction of the Citadel, several High Command units were shipped out over-seas to avoid conflict. Extensive research shown that the Insurgency had indeed annexed most of the North American Continent, and with City 17 destroyed, the UU had their hands tied on how they would summon reinforcements. As a result, the remaining populations had been split between Europe's Metroplexes, City 12, City 45, and City 3. The population of CC-R will take place in City 12, disputes between the CCA and Insurgencies will flare up, and will eventually determine what happens to the remaining populations in Europe.